No trip cancellation. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid flights, hotels and tours are not reimbursable if you cancel, and a non-refundable week in Tokyo for two commonly runs to several thousand dollars.
Does the TSB debit card include travel insurance now the Visa Debit is gone?
TSB·$0/year·Debit Mastercard
0,0/5Independent review · verified October 2026
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Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the TSB Visa Debit
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
TSB replaced the Visa Debit with the TSB Debit Mastercard from September 2021 and began cancelling the last Visa Debit cards from April 2022, so the debit card you get from TSB today is the Debit Mastercard. No annual fee. No travel insurance. You come down with a fever in Bali and the clinic wants payment up front: on a TSB debit card, that bill is yours, because no overseas medical, cancellation or baggage cover sits behind it. Most travellers assume the card that paid for the flights brings some cover with it. It doesn't: TSB travel insurance comes with one credit card only, never with the debit card, and ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas. If you only need to spend your own money abroad, the card does that with a 1.9% foreign currency conversion fee; if you want the trip itself protected, a standalone New Zealand travel policy bought the day you book covers the medical bill, the cancellation and the lost bag.
What works on travel
- No annual card fee: the TSB Debit Mastercard costs $0 a year to hold
- Spends your own money: no interest, no credit limit and no bill waiting after the trip
- Mastercard's Zero Liability Promise protects you against fraudulent transactions
- Apple Pay and Google Pay let you tap to pay with your phone overseas
Where travel breaks down
- No complimentary travel insurance: paying for flights or hotels with the card switches on no cover
- No overseas medical or evacuation cover: ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas
- No cancellation, travel delay or luggage cover: a cancelled trip or a lost bag is fully out of pocket
- 1.9% foreign currency conversion fee on every transaction in a foreign currency
- The Visa Debit itself is gone: TSB began cancelling the remaining cards from April 2022
Our methodology
Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.
Travel Insurance · 20 guarantees
What does TSB Visa Debit Travel Insurance actually cover?
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No overseas medical cover. This benefit is not included with this card. All medical costs overseas are the cardholder's responsibility, because ACC and the public health system don't pay for treatment overseas, and a few nights in a Honolulu hospital commonly run to six figures.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No evacuation or repatriation. This benefit is not included with this card. Evacuation and repatriation costs are entirely the cardholder's responsibility, and an air ambulance from Bali to New Zealand commonly costs six figures.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No emergency dental cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Emergency dental treatment overseas is out of pocket, because ACC and the public health system don't pay for treatment overseas.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No hospital cash allowance. This benefit is not included with this card. No daily allowance is paid during a hospital stay overseas, so the incidental costs of an admission are yours to cover.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No additional expenses cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra accommodation and transport after a disruption, such as a cyclone closing Nadi airport, are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No travel delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals, accommodation and transport during a long delay, such as an unplanned night in Honolulu, are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No alternative transport cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost of alternative transport to reach a prepaid cruise, tour or event on time is out of pocket.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No return home cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost of flying home after a family emergency, and of resuming the trip afterwards, is out of pocket.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No luggage delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Clothes and toiletries bought while your bag is delayed, say on arrival in Rarotonga, are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacement costs for lost or stolen bags and belongings are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No travel documents cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacing a lost passport or stolen cash overseas, including the extra travel to reach a consulate, is out of pocket.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No personal liability cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Legal liability for injuring someone or damaging property overseas is uninsured, and claims of this kind commonly reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No accidental death cover. This benefit is not included with this card. No lump sum is paid to you or your estate if an accident on the trip causes death or permanent disablement.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No income replacement. This benefit is not included with this card. Injured in Bali and off work for 8 weeks on your return, you get no income replacement from this card, and ACC weekly compensation only applies to injuries ACC covers.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No domestic cancellation cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid domestic flights and accommodation, such as a Queenstown ski week, are not reimbursable if you cancel.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No domestic delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals and accommodation during a delayed or cancelled domestic flight are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No domestic disruption cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra accommodation and transport after a disruption on a trip within New Zealand are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No domestic luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Lost or stolen luggage on a trip within New Zealand is not reimbursable through this card.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
No domestic bag-delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Essentials bought while your bag is delayed on a domestic flight are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- No insurance policy is attached to this debit card
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the TSB Visa Debit wins, where it loses
Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.
Trip cancellation: not covered by this card
Medical fees abroad: not covered by this card
Medical repatriation: not covered by this card
Compare
Visa DebitThis card0.0/5?
$0/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
$297 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the TSB Visa Debit stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Visa Debit shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Visa Debit TSB · $0/yr 0.0/5? | Visa Platinum Rewards ASB · $125/yr 3.2/5? | Platinum Card American Express · $850/yr 3.6/5? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | Not covered Cover this gap → | Unlimited All prepaid deposits, no dollar cap | $30,000 per person All prepaid travel, $30,000 cap | |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | Not covered Cover this gap → | Unlimited Unlimited, ages 75 and under | $5,000,000 Capped $5,000,000, overseas only | |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | Not covered Cover this gap → | Unlimited Included in unlimited medical | $5,000,000 Approved by Chubb Assistance | |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | Not covered Cover this gap → | 6h / $400 Trigger: more than 6 hours | 4h / $650 Trigger: 4 hours | |
Trip interruption Covered amount | Not covered Cover this gap → | Unlimited Unlimited, broad list of events | $5,000 per person Trip change during the trip |
StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact TSB Visa Debit assistance?
No insurer, policy wording or emergency medical line sits behind this card or the TSB Debit Mastercard that replaced it. The numbers below are TSB's lines for a lost, stolen or compromised card. For medical, cancellation and baggage cover overseas, buy a standalone New Zealand travel policy and keep its 24/7 emergency number with you.
TSB lost or stolen card line (in New Zealand)
0800 406 406
Free call within New Zealand · After hours; during opening hours you can also call 0800 872 226
TSB from overseas (lost, stolen or blocked card)
+64 6 968 3700
Call collect through the local operator · Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat and Sun 9am to 5pm (NZ time); you can block the card any time in the TSB app
What to do if something goes wrong overseas with a TSB debit card
1
Step 1: Buy a standalone travel policy when you book
Neither the old TSB Visa Debit nor the TSB Debit Mastercard includes travel insurance, so arrange a standalone policy whose policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) sets out its overseas medical, cancellation and baggage limits. Cover for a cancelled trip only runs from the day a policy starts, so buy it when you pay the first deposit rather than the week you fly, and save the insurer's 24/7 emergency number in your phone.
2
Step 2: Card lost or stolen overseas? Block it first, then call TSB
Block or cancel the card straight away with Card Manager in online banking or the TSB app, where you can order a replacement at the same time. Then call TSB collect through the local operator on +64 6 968 3700, or 0800 406 406 once you are back in New Zealand. If you can't reach TSB, contact Mastercard Global Emergency Services, whose nearest office is listed on mastercard.com.
3
Step 3: Dispute within 60 days, then go to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme
Write to or email TSB within 60 days of a Mastercard transaction you think is wrong; TSB tells you within 30 days that it received the request. If TSB's internal complaints process doesn't resolve a problem with the card, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme looks into it for free: call 0800 805 950, or +64 4 915 0400 from overseas. This is a banking complaint, not an insurance claim, because the card carries no insurance.
FAQ
What people ask about the TSB Visa Debit
- You can't, because there is none to activate. The TSB Visa Debit came with no complimentary travel insurance, and neither does the TSB Debit Mastercard that replaced it from 2021. On New Zealand cards that do include cover, activation (charging the required share of your prepaid travel costs to the card before you leave) is what switches it on: any amount on some cards, $500 or half the trip on others. Paying for flights or a hotel with a TSB debit card triggers nothing, because no insurer, policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) or benefit schedule sits behind it. There is no registration step to look for either. If you want the trip covered, buy a standalone travel policy when you book, and use the debit card for spending.
- Nobody, since the TSB Visa Debit carries no complimentary insurance, and the TSB Debit Mastercard you would be given today carries none either. That goes for the account holder, a partner and any children travelling with you, whoever paid for the bookings. Families feel this most: New Zealand credit cards that include travel cover often extend it to a spouse and dependent children travelling with the cardholder, and a debit card gives you nothing comparable. Every traveller in your group needs to be named on a standalone travel policy. A family policy can insure two adults and their children for one premium, so check its age limit for children and how it treats pre-existing medical conditions before you pay.
- No. A TSB debit card has no rental vehicle excess cover, whether you hire a car overseas or a car or campervan in New Zealand. The excess is the amount the rental company charges you after damage to or theft of the vehicle, and it commonly runs into the thousands of dollars. Some New Zealand credit cards reimburse it when the hire is paid on the card; paying with this debit card gets you nothing back. Two options close the gap: the hire company's excess-reduction option at the desk, or a standalone rental excess policy bought before you go. Ask the hire company too whether it takes a debit card for the bond, because a pre-authorisation reduces your available balance until it is released.
- There is no insurance claim to make: the TSB Visa Debit and the TSB Debit Mastercard that replaced it include no travel insurance, purchase protection or phone cover, so no insurer handles claims for them. If something goes wrong on a trip, you claim from the standalone travel insurer you bought a policy from, with itemised medical bills, a police report or the airline's property irregularity report, and your receipts. Problems with the card itself go to TSB: block it in Card Manager, call 0800 406 406 in New Zealand or +64 6 968 3700 collect from overseas, and dispute a wrong Mastercard transaction in writing within 60 days. If TSB doesn't resolve a complaint, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme reviews it for free.
- The TSB Visa Debit carries no complimentary travel insurance, so there is no overseas medical, cancellation or baggage cover, and no purchase protection or extended warranty. The same is true of the TSB Debit Mastercard that replaced it. In practice that means no emergency medical or evacuation cover overseas, where ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) and the public health system pay nothing. There is no trip cancellation, travel delay, missed connection or luggage cover, no rental car excess cover, no ski or snowboard cover, no personal liability and no mobile phone insurance. What the card does is let you spend your own money in New Zealand, online and overseas, with no annual card fee and a 1.9% conversion fee on foreign-currency transactions.
- No. TSB moved its debit card service from Visa to Mastercard: the TSB Debit Mastercard launched on 14 September 2021, replacement cards were offered as Debit Mastercards from 29 October 2021, and TSB began cancelling the remaining Visa Debit cards from April 2022. So if you look for a TSB Visa debit card today, the card you will be offered is the TSB Debit Mastercard. Unlike the Visa Debit, which charged an annual card fee, it has no annual card fee; it works contactless and with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and charges 1.9% on foreign-currency transactions. You must be over 15 to use one, and existing TSB customers order it by calling 0800 872 226 or visiting a branch. Like the old Visa Debit, it includes no travel insurance.
- No. A TSB debit card has no snow-sports cover of any kind: no ski injury medical costs, no mountain rescue, no cover for your own or hired gear and no refund of unused lift passes. There is no snow-sports extension to buy either, because there is no underlying policy to extend. On a ski trip to Japan, a fracture treated overseas quickly reaches five figures, and ACC does not pay for treatment outside New Zealand. A day on the slopes at home is a different story, since ACC covers accidental injuries in New Zealand. For an overseas snow trip, buy a standalone travel policy and add its snow-sports option before you leave, because an option like that cannot be added once you are hurt.
- Yes. A TSB debit card includes no travel insurance, so a trip paid with it alone leaves you exposed to the costs that hurt most: a hospital bill, an air ambulance home and bookings you cannot get refunded. ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas, and a few nights in a Honolulu hospital commonly run to six figures. A standalone New Zealand travel policy covers medical treatment, cancellation and baggage, whichever card paid for the trip. Buy it when you pay the first deposit rather than the week you fly, since cancellation cover only starts on the policy's start date. Keep the debit card for spending, and save the insurer's emergency number in your phone.
- Yes, but only one, and it is a credit card. TSB says only Platinum Mastercard cardholders receive travel insurance; it is not available on any other TSB Mastercard product, and the TSB Debit Mastercard carries none. That Platinum cover is issued and managed by Allianz Partners for the underwriter Mitsui Sumitomo, and it only switches on when at least 50% of your prepaid travel expenses go on the Platinum Mastercard itself, for up to 90 consecutive days per journey. Paying for the trip with a TSB debit card does not count towards that 50%, even if you also hold the Platinum card. If the debit card is your only TSB card, a standalone travel policy is the way to get cover.
- There is no annual card fee, but every transaction in a foreign currency costs an extra 1.90% of its New Zealand dollar value, whether you buy something or withdraw cash. TSB charges no fee of its own for an ATM cash withdrawal, although the overseas bank that runs the machine may add one. Mastercard converts the amount at the rate it selects; when a shop or ATM offers to charge you in New Zealand dollars instead, the merchant and its bank set that rate, not TSB, so check it before you accept. Daily limits are $2,000 for cash and $12,000 for purchases. A replacement for a lost or damaged card costs $15, plus a courier fee if it has to reach you overseas.
Not just TSB
Other cards worth considering
Visa Debit is a strong choice — but depending on what you prioritize, one of these may suit you better.
Low Rate Visa
ANZ
Warehouse Money Visa
Warehouse Money
Zero Visa
Kiwibank
CashBack Visa Platinum
ANZ
Not sure how card insurance works? Read our guide to credit card travel insurance